Olivetti Prodest PC1-HD (HDD version) PAL dump added

 PAL Updates  Comments Off on Olivetti Prodest PC1-HD (HDD version) PAL dump added
Jun 132015
 

As announced some days ago, we have another (and  last) dump from Olivetti Prodest PC1-HD (the hard disk version).Binary dump of original PAL16L8 device was provided by José G. (JP-Retro ,JOSÉ GONÇALVES E PAULO SOUSA Group) and we took care of reversing its equations into a GAL16V8 replacement.Dump has been tested as working by José G, thanks to him and all other guys of Olivetti Prodest group.

 Posted by at 3:23 pm

Olivetti Prodest PC1-DFD (double FDD version) PAL dumps added

 PAL Updates  Comments Off on Olivetti Prodest PC1-DFD (double FDD version) PAL dumps added
Jun 082015
 

In the past days me and Porchy were contacted by José G. (JP-Retro ,JOSÉ GONÇALVES E PAULO SOUSA Group).They are a group of  “aficionados” of Olivetti Prodest PC1, a vintage home computer released in the 1988.You can read more about it  here:

https://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/prodestpc1.html

There is a Facebook group as well:

https://it-it.facebook.com/OlivettiProdestPC1

He asked us for some help to reverse some secured PLDs (PAL16L8) present on the motherboard of  his Olivetti Prodest PC1-DFD (double FDD version) :

Olivetti Prodest PC1-DFD

So, we suggested him to build a simple adapter (designed by Charles MacDonald, all credits to him) to read them as 27C020 EPROM in a regular  programmer:

27C020_adapter

He succeeded to get the proper binay 256KB dumps so we took care to analyze them and reverse their equations into GAL16V8 replacement devices.Dumps have been successfully tested by José G.

Thanks to him and long live to the Olivetti Prodest PC1!

P.S.

There is a third PAL to be dumped and reversed , this one comes from the HDD version of Olivetti Prodest PC1:

Olivetti Prodest PC1-HD

Chip is on the way to be delivered to José G. so stay tuned for further update.

 Posted by at 12:46 pm

Major Title (IREM M82) PAL dumps added

 PAL Updates  Comments Off on Major Title (IREM M82) PAL dumps added
Jun 072015
 

Today, after repaired it, I dumped the four PAL16L8 on a Major Title PCB (which runs on IREM M82 hardware).The one marked “MT_A-2H-” @IC5 has same equations of the ‘M81_A-2H-‘ dumped (and tested) by Porchy from a M81 X-Multiply PCB, all other ones seem to be exclusive to this game but could be also shared with other IREM games.All dumps have been successfully tested in GAL16V8 replacement devices.

 Posted by at 10:53 pm

Major Title repair log

 PCB Repair Logs, Repair Logs  Comments Off on Major Title repair log
Jun 072015
 

Many of you may think that repairing arcade boards is a difficult task but sometimes it’s not so (well, few times though…).Here is an example.

Got an IREM Major Title PCB (M82 hardware) from my friend Corrado (who is part of JAMMArcade team as contributor):

Major_Tilte_PCB

When I powered it up I was greeted from this rolling screen:

no_SYNC_

There was no SYNC at all.I traced this signal back to a 74LS32 @IC14 on video board but, after checked its logic, it seemed good.I noticed there were some socketed ICs both on CPU and video board.Two of them were TBP24S10 PROMs manifactured byTexas Instruments (you can read its specifications in our “datasheet” section).When I pulled of the socket the one @IC47 I got this:

TBP24S10@IC47

PIN16 (VCC) was broken so IC was not powered at all.A little bit of “reconstructive surgery” on this (other adiacent wobbly ones) pin was enough to restore the correct video syncronism (later I found that outputs of this PROM were connected to a couple of custom ICs involved in video timing generation).

fixed

 

 Posted by at 10:02 pm

Dark Seal 2 PALs tested

 PAL Updates  Comments Off on Dark Seal 2 PALs tested
Jun 072015
 

Today I successfully tested the PAL dumps we have for Dark Seal 2/Wizard Fire.

Thanks to Elgen for dumping most of them.

 Posted by at 1:53 pm